Akron General Offers Minimally Invasive Robotic Surgery

New System Leads to Innovative Treatment Options

Akron General is now offering minimally invasive surgery using the state-of-the-art da Vinci® Robotic Surgical System. Minimally invasive surgery is a technique in which surgeons use small incisions and video cameras (laparoscope) to perform operations that generally produce less pain and a quicker return to normal activity than open surgical procedures.

Using the robotic surgical system, the surgeon operates while seated comfortably at a console viewing a 3D image of the surgical field. The surgeon's fingers grasp the master controls below the display, with hands and wrists naturally positioned relative to his or her eyes. The system seamlessly translates the surgeon's hand, wrist and finger movements into precise, real-time movements of surgical instruments inside the patient.

Many surgical procedures performed today using standard laparoscopic technique may be performed more quickly and easily using the robotic surgical system.

Types of Robotic Surgeries Offered

Robotic-assisted Cardiothoracic Surgery

Cardiothoracic surgeries that can be performed robotically at Akron General include, but are not limited to:

Total Endoscopic Coronary Artery Bypass (TECAB)

TECAB is the least invasive coronary artery bypass grafting operation, in which the bypass graft is constructed via tiny portholes, whereas conventional coronary artery bypass surgery requires division of the sternal bone of the chest in order for the surgeon to gain access to perform the surgery. Utilizing the da Vinci® robotic system, the surgeon performs complex surgical maneuvers inside the patient’s chest through five very small, half-inch incisions. As a result, the surgical trauma and scarring for the patient is minimal and the recovery time, greatly reduced.

Robotic-assisted Gynecologic Surgery

Gynecologic surgeries that can be performed robotically at Akron General include, but are not limited to:

Hysterectomy

Myomectomy

Fibroid removal

Robotic-assisted Urologic Surgery

Urologic surgeries that can be performed robotically at Akron General include, but are not limited to:

Prostatectomy

Nephrectomy

One of the most innovative forms of treatment is robotic prostatectomy. In fact, a recent article in the journal Urology concluded that in the hands of surgeons experienced in robotic assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy and radical retropubic prostatectomy, there was a statistically significant lower positive cancer margin rate for patients undergoing robotic assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. In time, additional procedures may be performed using this innovative approach.

Potential Benefits of Robotic Surgery

Benefits of robotic surgery for patients may include:

Less trauma

Less postoperative pain and discomfort

Less need for transfusions, decreased risk of infection

Shorter hospital stay and less scarring

Faster recovery and return to normal daily activities

Not all surgeries are appropriate for robotic surgery. Talk to your doctor or surgeon to see if surgery using the da Vinci® Robotic Surgical System is right for you.

Through the dedication of our surgeons and our surgery program, Akron General has been designated as Robotic Surgery Epicenter for Gynecology, where others come to learn about best practices for robotic procedures. This achievement was earned by being recognized nationally for exceptional quality and outcomes.

Physicians at Akron General Credentialed in Robotic Surgery at Akron General: